Absolute Terms
by Wicked R
Summary: this is another version of my minific Unconditional, a little longer with slightly different circumstances. How far will Elizabeth go to save Jack this time?
1. Chapter 1

Title: Absolute Terms  
Disclaimers: I don't own any pirate/ship and I don't wish to.  
Genre: AU romance/angst

Rating: nothing you should hide from.  
Summary/Set: this is another version of my minific Unconditional, a little longer with slightly different circumstances. How far will Elizabeth go to save Jack this time?

Pairing: Sparrabeth.

Note: English is still not my first language and it will never be, no matter how long I stay in Scotland for.

James Norrington left the house for duty and Elizabeth finished her cup of tea thinking about the conversation they had at the lunch table. Although Cutler was disgraced even post mortally for being such an embarrassment, causing enormous damage for the East India Trading Company and lots of enemies for the navvy, reinstated commodore James Norrington and Elizabeth remained weary and vigilant of any developments that could bring in a new rule or a new commodore. At the moment her and little William were safe under James' generous protection in their home in Port Royal, may the threat be coming from the English or any pirates who may have wished to acquire some leverage just in case they needed to deal with the captain of the Flying Dutchman, all of what security the commodore offered without asking anything in return, out of respect for her father, for old times' sake, he said. Elizabeth on the other hand knew he still loved her, it was obvious from every gesture when he dealt with her, every looking away and blushing she caught sight of. She couldn't do this to him forever, she was always cheating on him with her thoughts, flying far to Will or Jack. But what choice did she have? Go far away incognito, hide? That'd take her so far from those who she loved, and that included James in certain ways, she was fond of him yes, thankful, yes and if not for the unfortunate circumstances of ever meeting Jack she would've been his happy wife by now. She kept making the same decision over and over again, to stay. She sighed, and was about to call for the maid to tidy up when her housemaid burst in anyway, "I'm sorry Mrs. Turner, there's a man here who says he needs your fast help. Rather peculiar, cause he doesn't seem to be in need."

"What man?" Elizabeth asked surprised. She didn't keep contact with many, given the circumstances.

"He says his name's Joshamee Gibbs Ma'am."

Elizabeth jumped up, "show him in, show him in," she waved, then took a few quick steps towards the weary sailor appearing from behind the maid. She hugged him cordially, looking at him fondly, . "What brings you here master Gibbs?"

Gibbs pushed her away quickly, "no, please, don't. You don't wanna get the disease. Don't touch me, stay far back in case I carry it too."

"What's happened, Mr. Gibbs?" Elizabeth asked eyes wide with shock.

"Errrr..." He started, looking around suspiciously, "this is the commodore's house, right?"

"He's not around and besides, you won't know a fairer man and commander than James," she assured him quickly as she wanted to get to the bottom of the problem.

"Aye, I might give you so, but...it's..."

"Me?" She guessed. "Me living here with him. We're friends, but I'd keep the secret, please trust me Mr. Gibbs. Corinna said you were looking for some kind of help?" She tried.

"Well, we need fresh water badly and they'd not let us into port with the disease on board. At first I was thinking of getting some of the crew, grab some and the ol' doctor, but all the hale or even people who were only half dead deserted ship immediately...you know how it is, everybody wants to escape death. I'm afraid I'm the only one who left able to help. But then maybe it'd be better if we weren't chased by the navvy for kidnapping anyway when we don't even have a captain who could give orders..."

"You don't have a cap..." What did that mean? Did he desert as well? "Where's Jack?"

"Been at the helm for five days since people started dying so that I could tend to the sick. I had a suspicion he had it too, but he'd not tell me a thing. We had to reach some port and quick. He collapsed up there when Marty shouted he could see land and been delirious since."

By this time, Elizabeth was hyperventilating herself. She looked back at her maid, "would you watch my son for a little while?"

"You're not gonna go on a contagious ship!" Corinna cried appalled, although she knew it was in vain, her mistress was very stubborn about everything.

Elizabeth looked at Gibbs, she could tell he was really worried about his idolized captain. Nevertheless he shook his head as well, "no, no! I never came here for that! You can't come with us! I was only thinking if you could help load the water into a rowboat, I'll take it out. And if you'd maybe convince the doctor to come out, he won't do it for a pirate, but maybe for the commodore's "acquaintance"?"

Elizabeth thought about this for a minute, then walked up to Gibbs and looked into his eyes, "I owe this to all of you and most of all I owe it to Jack."

"Mrs. Turner..." He started..."I've seen the disease's way, I've seen it many times so far. Jack'll be dead by the morning."

"Then he'll have me as company doing so," she picked her coat up and ran. She was compromising everything, her life, her position, any peaceful upbringing her son might've had in Port Royal. She was back to helping pirates. She knew sooner of later it'd come. It was inevitable, it was her destiny. In any case, did much left to matter if Jack was dead?

Tbc


	2. Plank

Chapter 2: Plank

James climbed up to the deck of the quarantined Pearl, looking around in the eerie silence. "Elizabeth!" He shouted. He had to take her back before it was too late, although it could've been too late already as he only found out about her leaving two days after she did so when he came back from the fort. He had to find her. He stepped wearily forward, half ready to bump into her dead body or having to carry her home in his arms ill. Until he was in the open air, it wasn't so bad, but when he reached the opening that led down to the lower deck it hit him. The smell of sickness, the rancid, bodily stench that lingered there was overpowering. "Damn it," he whispered, put an arm in front of his mouth and nose and willed himself to take the steps. Down there he immediately bumped into a body, he assumed it was that, since it was covered with a sheet, although the fetid vapors were a give away as well. He didn't dare to lift the sheet to see who it was, but even though they left a dead man just lying there, it was a good sign that somebody was still alive having bothered to cover the corpse. Or was that too long ago too? He hesitated whether he should look nevertheless under, but then he heard some movement from behind him from the half dark corridor.

He turned around to see Jack Sparrow standing there leaning onto a door. "Leave 'm!" He warned the commodore energetically, making a step, but when he left the body alone Jack stumbled back to hanging on to the door. "Follow...follow me," the latter sounding a lot more weakly and pained.

"Elizabeth?" James inquired avidly. Risk of contagion or not, if he didn't see her right away or if anything happened to her he was gonna take the chance for Jack not being at his best and was gonna pummel all his own sorrows out of him.

Jack gulped, opened the door to his cabin and motioned him in with a small nod. James marched in, then stopped short at the sight.

Elizabeth was lying on the bed seemingly unconscious. She was drawing breaths, he established immediately, he was feeling powerless nevertheless and not sure what to do. Yes, he could kill Sparrow, it was all his fault, but how would that help Elizabeth now?

"Take her," Jack said. He sat down by the table and buried his face in his palms, "I knocked her in the head I'm afraid, she wouldn't leave otherwise. Just gathering the strength to put her out in a dinghy. Even taken away by the waves she'd be better off than dying here with us," he said quietly.

"She doesn't have the disease then?" James asked anxiously.

"No, not yet...maybe...just take her already! And keep her away with brute force if you have to, can you do that commodore?"

James nodded, there was no reason to spend any more time in this environment than it was absolutely necessary. He gathered Elizabeth into his arms and stepped out the door. Then he remembered, "I brought fresh water and food, some fumes and potions the doctor that was here recommended."

Jack snorted, "funny how love is, isn't it James? And you're the winner, the one who can actually be with her the most."

"But she loves you, so what is it I really get? Dreamy looks?" James replied, "come for her Sparrow, I can't watch her waste away like that. Take her with you, she was always yours since that day in the harbor," he rolled his eyes.

"Elizabeth doesn't belong here."

"Where does she belong then?"

"The whelp."

"Elizabeth might be out the ordinary, but melodramatic she is not. Four, five days in a lifetime with a man who she fell in love with cause she thought he MIGHT be a pirate? Tell me you can't top that. Sparrow, come off this ship if you don't want to die here. That's what she wants, why do you torture her?"

"I have to take care of Mr. Gibbs just now," he said quietly.

James nodded and cuddling Elizabeth up to him he started walking, enjoying those few moments he will ever have with her so close. If Sparrow'd come, he didn't know, but it hardly mattered in that sense. Elizabeth carried a man's heart with her, yet hers was another man's and he had long got used to the fact it wasn't his.

Tbc


	3. Chess

Chapter 3: Chess Piece

Elizabeth was watching the parade uninterested. Of course, she wouldn't have been there at all if not for little William, who was looking forward to the navvy's march for a few weeks now, ever since James told her about it. And then there was her ex fiance requesting her presence as well, the commodore had to be there in front of the troops, but was hesitant to leave her alone as he feared she would take the first chance to rush off to the ghost ship. As far as they knew, the Pearl was still standing anchored the same place for the last week and if nothing else happened James would order the search of the pirate ship tomorrow. If Jack was alive, he would be captured as the crown required it, it was one thing to overlook the law in private, but James could not afford to grant any privileges for any pirate in public any more. All in all, she would have to get there first, row away with Jack, whatever, if he was alive. She had to know. Although she stood on the steps of the town hall in James' direct sight, she knew he could hardly do a thing if she took off under the circumstances. She was contemplating the right moment when she saw the rows of the cavalry bunch up, horses jump up and the music disturbed by the chaos. She looked to see what caused the disturbance and she couldn't believe it! Not that he was daring to come into town, not that he was trotting right through the middle of the whole army unit, not that he was heading straight towards her, but...where did Jack learn to ride so well? Some kind of seahorse??

He stopped the horse before the steps, his face eye level with hers. "I really don't have much time for the fuss," he started. He'd been recognized, the curse of being so famous. His name was hailed, but who did he have to thank for that? Did he really have to make that entrance? "Opportune moments and all that. I love you, coming or not?"

Elizabeth shook her head nervously, "what about William?" She held the boy's hand.

"Pass him over!"

Elizabeth lifted him and Jack put the child in front of him while helping Elizabeth up at the back. "What are we doing?" She asked as Jack jumped over the podium and round a couple of soldiers.

"The usual," was the answer and Elizabeth's eyes went wide as they were heading to the edge of the wall full speed, "trust me, I've got you both."

There was no time to oppose, the horse finally realized the destination and came to a sharp halt at the very edge, sending the three flying into the ocean. Elizabeth remembered to take a big breath this time before hitting the water, during the time she had spent with Jack water became her second home. She opened her eyes below the surface and saw Jack holding William tight. He motioned her to swim round the rocks and then she saw the ropes already. They were on board the Pearl in no time.

"Captain, orders," Gibbs requested immediately, smiling happily at seeing Elizabeth and William. They were pretending to be a ghost ship for so long, but now the navy knew they weren't.

"Tortuga, we need some crew!"

"Not so much, Jack," Gibbs answered, "look who's back now that we're all clear."

Jack made a displeased gesture at Pintel, Ragetti, Marty and Cotton, "aye, ye can come."

William was looking at the large moving sails mesmerized. He just wanted to see a parade and now he was in the middle of an adventure. "Where are we going, mum?"

"Wherever Jack takes us sweetie."

"Captain Jack Sparrow?" He asked with dreamy eyes, running after Jack. All those tales he heard from the fishermen down the shore, were they true? He was going to ask that pirate.

"Yes, Jack," Elizabeth stopped him as well, "you two have not officially met yet. William, I want you to meet your father."

The End.


End file.
